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Skrynovia
The Kingdom of Skrynovia, also known as simply Skrynovia, is an island nation within the Southern Kingdoms, located southeast of the region of Shenshar, the region consisting the city-states of Barusia, Arzagorn, and Chiroga. It is one of the two island kingdoms inhabited by the warlike Keledori with the other being the neighboring island of Meclops bording southwest. History Settlement and War According to ancient myth and legend, the islands of Skrynovia and Meclops were originally inhabited by a race of barbarous, saber-toothed giants who lived in the forests. It was not until the nomadic, sea-faring ancestors of the human settlers arrived from uninown lands east of the island. Over time, as the legend suggests, the colonists began to form tribes and outnumber the native giants, who were eventually exterminated under the command of the Deep Ones, a race of sea-dwelling gods who are credited for the creation of the world. The tribes later united and formed a confederated kingdom under the legendary warlord, Keledor the Brave, whose name was then used to give the people of Meclops and Skrynovia a new identity: the Keledori. Since then, laws and traditions were made to established order within each of the two islands. Skrynovia, the island in the northeast, became a powerful nation with its capital station within the walled city of Yarmouth, which served as a seat of power for countless, unknown dynasties of kings and queens. Meclops, the island in the southwest, became jealous of their neighbors and sought to claim their wealth for themselves. This eventually led to the Keledori Wars, which lasted for fifty years until a truce was made between the Skrynovia armies of the legendary king, Aeron the Cunning, and the defeated people of Meclops. As a result, the truce was celebrated and honored by the people of Skrynovia in the form of a religious festival known as the Feast of Aeron. A Conquered People The people of Skrynovia lived in harmony until the arrival of the Shenshari Empire around a thousand years after its founding by the God Emperor. The conquerors, who were of Shenshari blood, viewed themselves as "superior" to the native Keledori and began enslaving them. Those of the Keledori who were born with red hair were deemed "cursed" by the followers of the Shenshari religion and were thus burned at the stake out of fear that they would bring about the end of the world. Seventy years later, a warrior queen by the name of Briallen the Fearless began a rebellion against the oppressive Shenshari known as Briallen's Rebellion for about seven years. While the rebellion had failed and ended with her death, Briallen was later commemorated by her people as the "savior of the Keledori". Skrynovia would not regain independence until the start of the Shenshari Dark Ages. Culture and Politics Life in Skrynovia is extremely religious, superstitious, and suspicious. The Keledori native to the island view themselves and their Meclops bretheren as "superior" to all other races, including the Shenshari who once ruled them. They show distrust towards foreign religions and deem concepts of science and philosophy as "wasteful" and "pointless". This leds the other peoples of the Southern Kingdoms to view them as "lazy", "backward", and "dimwitted". Despite these stereotypical behaviors, they see a great importance in recording their history through the art of writing and poetry. Skrynovian society has no concept of social class or traditional gender roles, although only men can be druids. Their lack of currency, gender equality, classlessness, and distaste for materialist thinking is backed up by a strong, spiritual desire for morality and order. Nevertheless, their society does separate its people into five professions: warriors, druids, healers, smiths, and farmers. Warriors are given great discipline and training in order to better prepare them for war. Druids are tasked with conducting the spiritual and political aspects of Skrynovian society as well as continuing the tradition of recording past and present events as homage to their heritage. Healers are a strictly female profession who are skilled herbalists tasked with aiding the sickly and injured. Smiths are tasked with crafting weapons such as swords, spears, arrows, axes, shields, and chariots. Farmers are tasked with growing crops and providing livestock to feed the rest of the population. Military Despite being a confederate kingdom consisting of tires who limit the power of the king who represents them, a unified, land-based military known as the Sons of the Deep exists as the main force that enforces law and order while protecting Skrynovia from potential invaders. While most of the soldiers of the military are mostly militia men, who often willingly serve as cannon fodder for the rest of the army. The Sons are a disciplines fighting force armed with weapons of iron (spears, swords, axes, arrows) and come with large shields that would be used to form a defensive phalanx. Chariots are only used by highly-ranked members of the Sons who are of the warrior profession, usually as a symbol of their authority within the army. Armor is also restricted to the high-ranking officers of the warrior profession. They also have a small fleet of ships, although they and those used by nearby Meclops pale in comparison to those used by the rest of Southern Kingdoms. The concept of warrior women is not uncommon among the Skrynovian people, especially since tge Cult of the Deep Ones encourages both males and females to fight alongside one another in times of war. A religious, all-female order known as the Daughters of the Deep is well-known for its reputation of being a powerful collection of fanatical warriors. Members of the Daughters often go into battle while half-naked, wearing only a loincloth with their bodies covered in tribal tattooes that are believed to bring divine protection. Religion The dominant religion of the Kingdom of Skrynovia is the Cult of the Deep, a polytheistic belief system dedicated to the worship of the Deep Ones. It is run by a collection of druids and mystics who communicate with them and provide spiritual as well as political advice. They view Ammonite shells as sacred and view the sea as the foundation of all life. Homosexuality, incest, and kinslaying are forbidden by traditional law and punishable by banishment. They strictly forbid slavery, as they see it as an affront towards the Deep Ones. Thus, the cult believes in a classless society under rule of the king and his tribal advisers, each of them being tribal cheiftains. Divorce is strictly forbidden both to men and women alike and the punishment for breaking it is ultimately banishment. Category:Locations Category:Regions Category:Countries Category:Islands